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Aug 08, 2008

Sandie rated it:

This mercurial story of love and adultery in a small Wisconsin town spans the course of three decades and serves as undeniable proof positive that people don't always learn from their mistakes or the mistakes of others.

Two stories, inextricably linked, are related to the reader in alternating chapters. Each of the plotlines is character driven and telegraphs a sense of foreboding. Agilely pivoting between one fateful night in 1963 and a single hot July day some thirty years later, S More...

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Oct 07, 2008

Melissa rated it:

I wanted to love this book - I had such high expectations for it! I read 2 very positive reviews for it in major publications, I had it on hold at the library for months, read positive reviews for it on Amazon, I figured it must be good. It wasn't. It was ok… which is frustrating because it could have been great.

The books takes place in the span of 1 day with lots of flash backs telling the back story of how the main characters met and also telling a story from 1963 that invol More...

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Sep 03, 2008

Elaine rated it:

The main story in So Long at the Fair takes place over the course of one Saturday in the lives of Jon and Ginny, a married couple who had been high school sweethearts. Their relationship has stagnated and Jon is having an affair with a co-worker, which has progressed to the point where Jon must make his choice between the two women. Jon begins his day hoping to re-ignite his passion for Ginny during a day-long road trip to a nearby county fair, but ends up stomping off in anger to spend the da More...

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Sep 23, 2008

Amanda rated it:

I was going to skip this review completely, give the book one star, and leave it at that. But as I generally don’t give horrible reviews, I thought I might as well have a low opinion for once. Keep in mind that this is, of course, my own opinion, as I’ve noticed many people really enjoyed this book. However, it did nothing for me as far as entertainment.

The story spans only one day and is told from several different character points of view. The two main characters are the married c More...

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Sep 17, 2008

Cheryl rated it:

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was very well written, interesting characters, and she does a brilliant job of weaving the past and present together and bringing everything together. I however hate it when books leave an open ending. A large event happens and that is how the book ends. I want to know how the characters react to that event, what happens to everyone after. Some people I'm sure don't mind it when books leave off like that, but I really don't. So good writing, good book, h More...

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Jun 09, 2010

Denise rated it:

3.0 out of 5 stars A very long day..., June 22, 2009

This review is from: So Long at the Fair: A Novel (Hardcover)
Although Schwarz's forte is usually in her character development that carries the story, this novel lags as far as having a really gripping and interesting plot. We never quite get to plumb the depths of the characters' motivations or thoughts as the story evolves, briefly sizzles, and then sputters to an unsatisfying conclusion.

The events of this nove More...

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Jun 17, 2009

emi rated it:

I don't have much to say about this book... I liked that it's set in Madison, WI since I went to school there and recognized a lot of the setting. But, I'm just not impressed with Christina Schwarz the author.
This story is about a couple having marital problems, he's having an affair at work. It turns out their parents knew each other growing up, and they were all involved in some kind of dastardly scheme which is only vaguely hinted at before the book flips back to present day, where More...

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Feb 17, 2009

Heidi rated it:

I am so disappointed. Partly I can understand that it's hard for a new author to come in at the top (Drowning Ruth was on the Oprah bookclub and show) and try to sustain that level of success but this book was completely disappointing. It's as though the book ended BEFORE the climax and it leaves you wondering why you wasted the time to read half of a story. I even thought that maybe she was being rushed to get this book into publishing so she just ended it maybe even thinking that this will More...

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Jun 20, 2011

Julia rated it:

I really enjoyed Schwarz's first 2 books, but this one not so much. I believe the story line itself had lots of potential, but the way Schwarz wove the past and the present together just left me confused. There were too many characters and I couldn't keep them straight nor how they were related when the story took a leap into the past. A novel, read for entertainment shouldn't be this hard to figure out. I have not given up on Schwarz, and would read her next book, but if she plays this tric More...

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Dec 12, 2009

Janet rated it:

There are many stories going on at the same time but all, as are the characters, related in many ways. Schwarz writes as if she knows these people & is just retelling their stories. There are no false moments, no exaggerations for the sake of moving the story forward, no side stories that distract - it's an honest, believable story with honest, believable people. At first I wanted more from the ending - I wanted to follow these people into their futures - I wanted to know they would be OK. I More...

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Oct 21, 2011

Nelly rated it:

Gosh, this was quite disappointing. I mean, it was good, the concept is good, I liked the style and all, but the ending... Maybe I just didn't get it?

I like Christina Schwarz, which is weird because she writes in that contemplative way that usually bores me about such novels, but her stories are so well imagined and executed that I enjoy reading them. I liked the way this spanned several generations - although I kept forgetting the names of the secondary and tertiary characters an More...

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Jan 16, 2009

Heather rated it:

So Long at the Fair is the story of pivotal day in the Life of Jon and Ginny. The couple are high school sweethearts who found their connection due to a devastating accident and have been married for several years. Ginny is a lovable pack rat whose gardening business is beginning to flourish, while Jon is a typical type-A advertising executive, driven and focused on Freddi, a woman outside of their marriage. The novel frames an intense day when Jon must decide whether to abandon his fledgling af More...

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Sep 24, 2009

Clare rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jan 26, 2010

Elisa rated it:

Good character development, and a good plot....although I found it hard at times to keep straight how the past related to the present. Also, like others before me, I found the ending somewhat unsatisfying. At first I liked the ambiguity, as it allows the reader to create their own ending. When I thought about it later, it felt more like a cop-out to me- like maybe the author wasn't quite sure where she wanted it to go, so she just kind of left it hanging. I'm still not sure where I stand on More...

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Oct 05, 2011

Sarka rated it:

I still can't decide if I loved it or hated it hahaha. Bloody Contemporary Authors hahaha. I didn't flow with this one. Didn't really have the energy to read it full pelt and yet, The story had me Very intricate literature where you can lose track if you don't pay attention but very clever writing to sum it all up. Think I need one of my usual Genres now hahaha. But I'll give it a 3.5 out of 5. Maybe 4 on a generous day hahahaha.

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Nov 24, 2008

Arbkdbarb rated it:

Two stories intertwined kept me a bit confused. It took me awhile to figure out what the connection was and even then I wasn't sure what the past really had to do with the current situation. However, I did get into the love triangle story (Jon, Ginny and Freddie), but I didn't understand the outcome at all! Pretty disappointing.

1 comment like

Oct 11, 2008

Amy (amyb2332) rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

1 comment like

Aug 20, 2009

Lydia rated it:

Yeah, I should have read Drowning Ruth instead of this book. It got much better reviews.

I feel like my head has just been spun in circles like a top and it just kind of.. stops. There's no real resolution, and this story reads like the author just stopped writing it one day and said, "done!" without the story actually ending.

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Dec 11, 2009

Glenda rated it:

I loved Drowning Ruth and while I knew this book had many low reviews, I decided to give it a try anyway. I usually love a story within a story, but this one was confusing. The flashbacks didn't make sense for a long time, and when they finally did, I didn't care anymore! I didn't think the ending was an ending either, WTH?

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Jan 06, 2012

Dee rated it:

A good story but I had to be alert to keep track of characters past and present. I had to go back and re-read parts to keep them straight. The story ended with a lot of questions unanswered but overall it was a story of wanting something different and realizing maybe that is not what you wanted afterall or is it?

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Jul 06, 2010

Allison rated it:

Her characterization is so deft and complex that I was halfway through the book before suddenly realizing that not a whole lot of action was taking place but I was thoroughly engrossed. Brilliant at exploring guilt and desire, how people fool themselves and manipulate others, some unconsciously and some not.

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Sep 18, 2009

Missy rated it:

This book was difficult for me to follow. The story kept jumping back and forth between the present, and 1963. There were 3 different story lines going on at the same time. There were a few characters that were very unlikeable.
I have never read Drowning Ruth...I still would like to give it a try. I was disappointed in So Long At The Fair.

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Dec 07, 2008

Rhonda rated it:

While the author had a good idea for a story, this book could have been told in 50 pages and not the 240+ that it was. The main plot line took place in ONE day, but there was so much "unnecessary" flashback and background information that I lost interest in all of that and only cared about the main story.

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Sep 17, 2011

Mary rated it:

The novel, told over the course of one day, tells the story of Jon, trying to decide if he should end his marriage to Ginny or his affair with Freddi. There is also an interwoven story set in 1963 involving Jon and Ginny's parents. The ending was disappointing.

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Dec 16, 2008

Barbara rated it:

At the end, I guess I thought the story was pretty good. However, I had to keep paging back to see how the characters all connected. I sometimes like a story within a story but this one was somewhat confusing for me after awhile.

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Jan 11, 2010

Meg rated it:

I really wanted to like it but it's officially my least favorite of CS's books. She can be so, so good-- I'll continue to read her. I can't help but wonder if she was under pressure and forced to wrap things up before the story was ready.

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Dec 24, 2008

Evalyn rated it:

Although I remember liking Drowning Ruth written by this same author, I didn't care for So Long At The Fair very much. One of the main reasons was the unsympathetic characters. Most of them were unlikable because they did whatever they wanted with little thought to others. The writing was just as good as in her previous book but she makes it difficult to care about the characters.

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Jun 09, 2010

Dianah rated it:

A study of a marriage on the knife-edge of crisis. During one day, Ginny and Jon consider their marriage and the long reach of the past disaster that brought them together. Suspenseful with a surprise ending.

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Mar 03, 2010

Mary rated it:

Having been to Summerfest and Madison and the long way to Milwaukee, I could picture all the places Christina had her characters visit. The story was intriguing and true to the crazy things some people do.

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Oct 01, 2009

Elizabeth rated it:

I liked this book, but there seem to be too many characters, some of whose names are so similar as to make things quite confusing. Still, it's not a bad read - I just don't know that I'd recommend it. It's not very memorable.

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